Rev. Melvin D. Sinn

Reverend Melvin Duane Sinn passed away peacefully in his sleep on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at Westminster Village in Terre Haute. Mel was born on February 12, 1931, in southwestern Nebraska, joining the fourth generation of Sinns to live on the family farm. After high school, he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where he met his first wife, Virginia Hagel-Pitt. Soon after they married, Mell was stationed to Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1955, Wile still living in Honolulu, Virginia gave birth to twin boys, Mark and Michael. That same year, Mel was discharged and the family moved back to Nebraska. In 1959, their daughter, Leiann, was born and shortly after that, Mel began studying at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado. After graduating in 1968, Mel accepted a job at Indiana State University as a campus minister. He had a radio program on Sunday morning called “Angles on Angels with Sinn” and he married over 350 couples here in the Wabash Valley. He served as President of the local Planned Parenthood for several years and started preaching at a small Presbyterian church outside Paris, Illinois. In 1988, Mel married Lucia Kaiser. She and Mel traveled through the United States, Europe, Costa Rica, and Mexico. They spent several winters on Jekyll Island, Georgia and 17 winters on South Padre Island, Texas. In 2023, Mel and Lucia left their century-old house on Fruitridge Avenue and moved into Westminster Village.

Mel is survived by his sons, Mark Sinn (Cathy) and Mike Sinn (Eric); and daughter Leiann “Minnie” Phillips (John); stepdaughters, Jocelyn Kaiser (Russell) and Mary Kaiser DeRyke (Steve); two grandchildren, Dylan Synn (Chelsea) and Jurgen Sinn (Brittni); and four great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at Callahan & Hughes Funeral Home.